Clean Label Challenges

Sugar’s multi-functional role in foods, such as confections, makes sugar reformulation a complex process.

In addition to its role in modulating taste, aroma and color, Sugar Serves as both bulking agent and texture modulator. It affects flow properties, crystallization, as well as interfacial and network formation in complex food systems. A presentation by Jerome Diaz, Ph.D., Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen University and Research, discussed the interaction of sugar along with other ingredients in complex food systems.

Sugar functionalities in specific food applications were compared with clean label alternatives. Specifically, challenges in confectionery and beverage applications were highlighted, and the utility of thermodynamic models in sugar reformulation were described. The presentation was valuable for product developers intending to successfully reduce, replace and reformulate sugar under a clean label framework with the goal of hastening time-to-market of high-quality, clean label, sugar reformulated consumer products.